truTV: And Now For Something Completely Different – Fewer Commercials!

truTV is doing something pretty amazing: increasing the number of minutes of programming by 21% per hour. The result will be the lowest average commercial time on television.

What does that mean to the average truTV viewer? If the average hourly program runs, let’s say 42 minutes before commercials are counted, that same program would now run almost 51 minutes – a content total that hasn’t been seen on a regular basis since the 1950s.

Why is truTV doing this? Follow the jump for all the details.

truTV to Expand Prime Programming Minutes, Resulting in Lowest

Average Commercial Time in All of Television

Brand Refresh Delivered on Year One Promise with +55% Growth with Adults 18-34 and +44% Growth Among Adults 18-49

Year Two to Provide Enhanced Viewer Experience with +21% More Programming

At the one-year anniversary of its brand update, truTV is successfully delivering on its promise of creating a more premium network and attracting a highly-desirable audience that is significantly younger, richer and smarter than ever before. Building on this ratings growth and strong momentum, truTV is taking a bold next step to create an enhanced, unmatched viewer experience for its fans. Beginning in fourth quarter 2016, truTV will extend the amount of programming time during each new hour of original, prime programming by more than 20%, which will catapult the network to the lowest average commercial and promo time in all of television. The move comes as audience data shows the “Way More Fun” brand refresh is working, with the network delivering more premium original programming and a larger, more upscale audience.

Since November 2014, the network’s delivery of adults 18-49 has grown almost +45%, and the results for young adults are even stronger, with a +55% ratings increase among adults 18-34. Additionally, the network is seeing a significant drop in its primetime median age which is currently 33, a full seven years younger than a year ago (September 2014) and four years younger than November 2014.

truTV’s new viewer experience initiative will begin with 45 hours of breakout, primetime programming and an additional 90 hours of programming per quarter throughout the rest of the schedule. With longer shows, coupled with less frequent and shorter commercial breaks, fans of the network’s original programming will enjoy a better viewing experience, and advertising partners will benefit from a less cluttered, more premium environment for their brands.

“We are seeing tremendous results since our refresh, proving that our new programming and brand update are moving the network in a positive direction with our targeted young adult viewers,” said Chris Linn, president and head of programming for truTV. “I’m excited for truTV to be a first mover in the industry to deliver a better experience for our viewers. It’s the kind of bold and game-changing move that audiences have come to expect from truTV.”

Over the past year, building off the success of marquee series Impractical Jokers, which averages more than 2 million viewers and ranks #2 in its time period among adults 18-49, the network has turned over an entirely new slate of premium, primetime programming including The Carbonaro Effect, Adam Ruins Everything, Hack My Life and Billy on the Street. In addition, truTV recently greenlit the new show Super Into, hosted by Kevin Pereira; ordered additional episodes of Fameless; and renewed the hit series Impractical Jokers, which recently celebrated its 100th episode with a spectacular live television event. The network is also preparing for the upcom ing launch of Santas in the Barn and its first ever scripted series, Those Who Can’t.

truTV’s success extends beyond the linear network, with strong multi-platform growth across its digital, VOD and social channels, which are all up across the board. Leading the pack is truTV’s YouTube channel, which drew 18.9 million views in September 2015 (+38% vs. last September), while “likes” increased by +93% and “shares saw a remarkable seven-fold increase. Through its VOD platforms, the network has amassed 6.9 million transactions in August 2015, +56% compared to August 2014, with Impractical Jokers generating 4.8 million transactions during that same month, +183% over last year. truTV’s digital platforms enjoyed similar successes in the third quarter, with truTV.com yielding 2.6 million unique visitors, +10% versus the same time last year.

An all-new programming slate and highly-engaged, desirable audiences attracted more than 50 new advertisers to truTV in the last year since the refresh, with strong growth in key categories like automotive and retail.

“The response from our clients and partners to the evolution of truTV has been outstanding, and we feel strongly this bold next step is necessary and will propel the network forward,” said Joe Hogan, executive vice president, Turner Emerging Consumers Ad Sales. “By creating a new and enhanced viewer experience, we also provide a more premium environment with greater impact for our advertisers, and the result is that we will reach the next level of delivering for our truTV fans and clients.”

Turner Broadcasting Ad Sales president Donna Speciale punctuated the point, stating, “This shift is a game-changer that will shake up how we as an industry approach video ad sales. It is one step in Turner’s on-going commitment to create premium environments for our viewers and drive business results for our partners.”